Mcfarlane Toys has a long history with both the Alien and Predator
licenses. They've released figures in various scales and styles over
the years, and based on various films. The latest releases include two
new 12" figures from the Alien vs. Predator film - a Scar Predator and
a Grid Alien.

Alien vs Predator was not the best movie to ever feature our slimy acid
blood friends. In fact, it could very well be the worst, although it
would have to fight with Aliens 4 for the title. Now, I have to admit
I've never actually watched the entire film from start to finish, and have
only caught bits and pieces on HBO. The bits and pieces I've seen have
certainly not driven me to seek out an extended viewing.

But some of the designs are pretty well done, and at it's concept -
Aliens and Predators battling it out - it's a fun idea. This latest
pair of 12" figures are really designed to go together, but you can get
away with displaying just one or the other if you have your character
preferences. The Predator has just started showing up at some
retailers, but this is an early review of the Grid Alien. He should
hit stores in the next couple weeks, and retail for around $30.

Packaging - ***
It's a box. It's huge. And it shows off the better features of
the sculpt, while hiding the less attractive. The graphics are good,
and it advertises the companion Predator.

Sculpting - ***
This was a tough one to score for me. There are aspects of this figure
I really like, and there are aspects that leave me completely perplexed.

In terms of things I like, there's far more detail here than we've gotten
even on some much more expensive statues. The figure has a dynamic, fluid
feel to it, and the huge tail - 23 inches of death - looks amazing. I
also am very glad that he is much closer to sixth scale, and not just
12" tall.

While 12" and sixth scale tend to get used interchangeably, they do
not mean the same thing unless the character in question happens to be six
foot tall. Then he'd be 12" tall in sixth scale. However,
the Aliens are much larger than that in 'real' life, and therefore a sixth
scale version should be much larger than 12". This figure is
13" tall, even in his deep stance. If his legs were posed
straight, he'd be at least 16 - 17" tall, much larger than past action
figures based on the character. This means that posing him with other
sixth scale characters looks much more realistic - this is the guy you want
to face off with your 12" Hot Toys Hicks.

I also really like the head sculpt, even if the positioning of the neck
is a bit awkward. A better neck joint would have been nice though, to
allow for a little more positioning of the great head sculpt.

But then there's the body stance itself. The deep knee bends give
him a bit more of a squat look, than a crouch look. Crouch is good,
crouch is dangerous, crouch is ready to attack. Squat is bad, squat is
goofy, and squat means he's going to be looking for the Charmin in a minute.

Fortunately, this pose can be greatly helped by the addition of either
his partner, the new Predator, or another sixth scale figure for him to
terrorize. Standing on his own, he's copping a squat. Standing
in battle, facing an opponent, he looks ten times better.

Once you can get over the pose, there is one more oddity. The arms
are sculpted to be perfect in one pose of course. What I mean by that
is the sculpt lines up properly in one pose across the cut joints of the
biceps. Look at the shot to the left to see what I mean - the right
arm has to be well off to the right, while the left arm appears to be
imitating Michael Jackson. Thankfully, the cut joints allow you to
pose the arms in plenty of sensible ways, but the sculpt is never going to
line up.

Once you get past those couple issues though, you will see just how well
executed the horror and malevolence of this character are done.

Paint - ***1/2
There's not a lot of paint here, but what is here is well executed.
He's a fairly basic color scheme, without much to add for spice. He
does have the nifty splatter pattern across the dome of his head though, and
the silver teeth are neat and consistent.

His dome is also done in a very glossy finish, while the rest of the body
and head are matte. This makes for a nice contrast, and adds some
realism to the already realistic sculpt.

Articulation - **Here's a place that a little more attention would have added some
benefit.

The neck could have been a ball joint - it even looks like perhaps it is
at the base where it enters the torso. But alas, it can only turn, and
not tilt. Had it been a true ball joint, the head could have been
placed in many more poses that would have improved the overall stance.

The arms have cut joints at the shoulders, biceps, and wrists.
There's also a cut joint at each hip, at each ankle, and one hidden up
underneath the upper rib cage. The don't allow for a lot of posing,
but at least you can get the arms to appear threatening.

Finally, the huge, almost two foot tail is made of bendy rubber.
Unfortunately, it tends to go back to a straighter position, because the
weight of the tail itself bends the wire inside back out. But you can
get it into some interesting positions with a little effort. Not only
is the tail bendy, but it has a cut joint where the larger portion attaches
to the body.

Accessories - *1/2
This guy comes with one - his display stand. With a little effort you
can attach both feet to the stand, or support him off just one. The
plastic pegs are very long, and bury deeply in either foot, ensuring that
he'll stay up.

This base can attach to the base included with his companion Predator,
making for a fight scene from the film.

Value - **1/2At $30, he's about where you'd expect him. The sculpt and paint
are extremely good (if you can get past the pose of the legs), and his sheer
size is tremendously impressive. He's no knock out value at that
price, but he's no rip either.

Fun Factor - **1/2
If you have kids looking for a gruesome, violent, deadly monster to take on
their 13" DC Direct Superman or perhaps their Action Cape Batman, then
this might just be the guy. That is if you don't mind them waking up
from nightmares in the middle of the night.

Things to watch out for - Be careful when attaching his feet to the base, since the pegs are
fairly long. You could snap them off, although it would take some
effort.

Overall - ***This is easily a figure you can display in a home theater/media room
type set up, and people will think it cost a whole lot more than it
did. It does not appear to be a toy, but rather a sculpture.

That being said, the pose really does bewilder me. There's no way
to really get this guy to look right by himself, and adding an additional
figure to the display is a must. Maybe that was the plan all along?

Where to Buy -
You may end up seeing these at Toys R Us or Meijers, since previous 12"
Predator and Alien figures did hit there. However, you're best bet is
probably on line at this point. This is an early review, so these are
all still pre-orders at this point: